Proposals to form an Institute of Event Management have progressed with the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) agreeing on three working groups to help establish it.

As reported by Event Magazine, the three groups will be responsible for creating a professional institute for those working in conference centres, wedding venues and meeting spaces, for example. They will also be mapping the existing provision of higher education courses in events management and developing membership structures, tiers and criteria.

The news comes as the BVEP are meeting with the government to discuss the future of the event industry, as previously reported by Event Magazine.

Proposals to create an Institute of Event Management include companies such as Locog, who are organising the Olympics, the sector skills council People 1st, FDF (Foundation Degree Forward), numerous UK universities and all trade associations in the meetings and events industry.

“A key part of meeting this objective will be engagement with industry leaders in support of a sector quality, skills and qualifications strategy and implementation programme,” said Michael Hirst, BVEP chairman.

He added: “This should include an Institute of Event Management, a framework for continuing professional development, and a portal website to signpost skill needs, industry-accredited qualifications, further and higher education programmes in event management, and career opportunities.”

In an official statement published on Meetpie, Susan Spibey from SJS Consultancy Services, who chaired the meeting in which the proposals were agreed, said: “Having spent many years as a practitioner, I have seen ‘from the coalface’ the importance of putting in place a professional development and accreditation structure which will position the events industry on par with the other professions. I believe that an Institute of Event Management will provide the vehicle to achieve such an objective, but we must ensure that we carry all parts of the industry with us in the months ahead.”